Corporate Credit

Rate cut expectations pushed more investors into investment-grade corporate bonds, giving them their best quarter in nearly a year.

If the risk of stepping too far out into the yield curve is too much to bear, consider using intermediate bond options.

As we look at today’s economy and financial markets, we are at a crossroads: Will it be a long straight highway to a soft landing, or will it be a bumpy road to recession?

Investors have been embracing actively managed fixed income ETFs in 2024. The latest suite of active ETFs to catch my eye are from State Street Global Advisors.

Over the past several years, high-yield bonds have delivered impressive returns, outperforming most other sectors of the fixed income market.

September is typically the weakest month of the year for stocks, but thanks to the much-anticipated federal funds rate cut, the S&P 500 turned in its first positive performance in a September since 2019

CLOs have delivered the most attractive risk-adjusted returns in fixed income over the past decade, but are often deemed 'too complex.'

We believe municipal bonds currently offer a compelling balance of risk and reward for investors in higher tax brackets.

We think it would be a mistake for investors to let tighter spreads and upcoming maturities deter them from the euro high-yield market.

For many investors, the fixed income portion of their portfolio is intended to be the ballast of the portfolio.

The economy reached an inflection point, with labor market conditions squarely in focus.

The bond market is overextrapolating recession risk.

While agency mortgage-backed securities offer compelling valuations, not every mortgage is created equally.

After months if not years of investors asking when the Fed would cut rates, we finally got our answer.

Explore fixed-income tools that generate income and infrastructure.

Fixed income strategy and opportunities have remained relatively unchanged over the past few months. However, the much-talked-about monetary policy change has commenced.

Historically, investors have struggled to add meaningful alpha through security selection. A dynamic new credit scoring approach could change that.

Fixed income investors may want to take a middle-ground approach with bonds and opt for debt with intermediate maturity dates.

On September 18, the Federal Reserve cut the Federal funds rate, as expected, announcing at the same time that the Fed will continue to reduce its balance sheet. In my view, both of these decisions were appropriate. The Fed reduced short-term rates by 50 basis points, which was consistent with economic conditions that remain near the threshold of recession.

A potential recession could push even more investors to bond, but recession or not, investors can reap the benefits of core bond exposure.

Since mid-2022, when the Federal Reserve was in the midst of its aggressive hiking cycle, investors piled over $1.6 trillion into money market funds, which include Treasury bills.

As GMO celebrates its 30th anniversary managing emerging debt this year, we offer our comprehensive guide to emerging debt markets. Given the tumultuous recent events – a global pandemic, defaults, repricing of interest rates, relentless strength in the U.S. dollar – we’ll focus on the Why as a starting point. Then we’ll dive into the proliferating How, covering strategies and vehicles.

From "how" to "why now," here are four things investors should understand about bond investing.

Despite forthcoming volatility, it's an ideal time to get municipal debt exposure, especially in the current market environment.

Trend-following is an exercise in technical analysis, systematic rules following, and signals reading that’s objective and agnostic.

History suggests Presidential elections are not nearly as important to the financial markets as the media plays them up to be, and a focus on fundamentals rather than political slogans has generally been beneficial. Historical asset class and sector performance shows virtually no consistent performance pattern under Democratic or Republican Presidents.

The yield curve measures the difference between short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term Treasury yields.

With tax-loss harvesting season on the horizon, investors may want to consider a pair of tax-conscious, active fixed income ETFs.

How are bull and bear markets defined and how should you approach them as an investor?

While the pace of Federal Reserve cuts is in question, all roads lead to lower interest rates.

Recent Fed commentary and economic data have crystallized investor confidence in rate cuts coming in less than a week

Regardless of which administration takes power after an election, a balanced portfolio has made strong gains in the years immediately after.

History typically shows that election years don't produce major volatility swings in the municipal bond market.

On the back of recent cooling in economic growth, an uptick in unemployment, and moderating inflation, the Federal Reserve (Fed) looks set to begin its rate-cutting cycle at its September meeting.

ETFs saw a record number of inflows in August, including bond-focused funds, which are offering opportunities in corporate debt.

The main focus for investors should is no longer if the Fed will cut rates in 2024, but how much and how quickly the Fed will lower interest rates.

Despite pullbacks and elevated volatility in the earlier days of the month, major equity indices were up in August.

In this edition, Harold Evensky explores the challenges facing sustainable and active funds, the implications of the new DOL Fiduciary Rule, and the value of long-term performance projections. With candid observations and critical analysis--read on to gain perspective on navigating the complex world of investing, the importance of risk management, and the role of fiduciary advisors in securing your financial future.

A soft landing for the U.S. economy still appears to be the most likely outcome.

In our view, stagflation scenarios tend to be worse for balanced portfolios than recessions.

The forthcoming presidential election is certainly adding a healthy dose of intrigue into the municipal bond space.

As tax season draws nearer, advisors and investors increasingly look to their portfolio to optimize exposures for taxation purposes.

When you see that behavior at extreme valuations, it tends to be a sign of underlying skittishness and risk aversion. When valuations are setting record extremes because the news can’t get any better, even a slightly less optimistic outlook becomes a risk.

While short-term fluctuations and sudden selloffs have tested the markets, key indicators such as corporate profits, employment data, and economic resilience have held firm.

An extended period of elevated interest rates may have long-term implications for both consumers and businesses—affecting how investors value company shares.

High-yield bonds have been one of the best-performing bond investments so far this year, but there may be better entry points down the road.

The most glaring uncertainties today, which contributed to early August seeing some of the largest market moves in the last several years, are the risks associated with the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate.

Although we think it's too early to declare the economy is in a recession, risk is elevated. For investors who are concerned about a recession, municipal bonds may help buffer a portfolio.

Recent economic data points have been mixed. On the more positive side of the ledger, there’s evidence that inflation is cooling and consumer spending remains sturdy. Conversely, the jobs market is cooling.

Are we going to have a recession? Are we already in a recession?

Before the pandemic hit in 2020, a decade-long bull run in the stock market saw the 60/40 portfolio slowly fall out of favor. With market volatility returning, that 60/40 split appears to be making a comeback.

As recently as the beginning of this year the market pundits were predicting up to six Federal Reserve rate cuts to the short-term Federal Funds Rate. Shockingly, the pundits’ expectations have not come to fruition. Predictions based on the sentiment of the day fill the twenty-four-hour news cycle on multiple outlets.

Markets were recently rattled by concerns the U.S. may slip into recession, but it's not clear that those fears are justified.

We manage risk within our strategic, long-term allocations based on diversification across equity, fixed income, and alternative assets.

The BlackRock Flexible Income ETF (BINC) launched less than 15 months ago and is already approaching $4 billion in AUM.

For years, the emphasis within fixed income investing has been to seek security-specific alpha in an illiquid bond market where no single security significantly impacts portfolio returns.

Bond prices whipsawed over the past month as volatility spiked across markets. What's next for fixed income markets?

The KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF (KCSH) offers low risk income investing with notable yields and diversification.

It's an ideal time to add bonds, especially if they are poised to outperform stocks over the next 10 years.

Actively managed ETFs continued to gain traction in July with $24 billion of net inflows. This represented 19% of the industry’s net inflows.

China’s two-speed economy and the internationalization of the renminbi suggest long-term opportunities may be found amid near-term challenges.